Strider a Lord of the Rings fanficiton
by algaratesara
Summary: made this for my fanfiction English class. This is the final draft of my idea of what happened when Aragorn was with the rangers.


Algarate 18

Sara Algarate-Carter

ENGL-211G-M02

Rachael Krygsman

Strider

I ride west towards Arnor. I could no longer stay in Gondor, my home. The people were starting to learn my true heritage, and many asked for me to reclaim the throne. I refused them all. How could they understand the burden I bear? The pressure of repeating the dark past has been a constant thought in my mind. That is why I head west, to find the Dunedain rangers. Men who have no claim, men looking for a purpose in life. I am hoping I can join their camp and find peace with the past. If not, I fear there is no where else for me to go.

I have been riding for the past six months. My horse, Brego, has worn tired and needs rest. However, I do not want to stop. We have passed the Shire and entered a thick pine forest. Rabbits and foxes dash in between the tree trunks, and sparrows chirp for the last time as the sun dips below the tree line. The encampment should be close. Although the rangers do not have a permanent settlement, they follow the hunt. I have found tracks of men made only a week ago. They surely should be close. I look around trying to see a faint glow of a campfire. The rustle of a bush. There is nothing, it is dead silent. Not even the ravens crow_._ The hairs on my neck stand up._ There is something not right_, I think_,__ maybe we should settle for the night__._ "Whoa, Brego!" I tell my horse. He halts to a stop.

I jump down from his britches. I grab his reins and tie them to the nearest tree. I turn to pet his nose, his withers twitch with anticipation and he gives a happy neigh. I chuckle "Get some rest, we have had a long day."

I walk to the nest nearest pine and break off the lowest hanging branches. I walk back to Brego and dump the branches on the ground. I fix them into a wood pile and start to build a fire. By rubbing two logs together and blowing where they meet, I am able to create sparks that catch flame to the log. I sit back, proud of my work. My eyes close slowly and I drift into sleep.

I awake to the snap of a nearby stick. I bolt upright, in doing so my throat runs into metal. There is a knife at my throat and six men surrounding me. I breathe heavily trying to resist the stinging at my throat. I search around bug-eyed. The leader seemed to have white hair as long as his waist. A bow is fitted in one hand and the other pulling back an arrow. The arrowhead pointed right at my heart. "What is your business in these woods?" he asked.

"I am looking for the Dunedain rangers. I am Isildur's heir. I wish to join in their brotherhood."

All the men whisper amongst each other. _The heir to Isildur! The true king! How could he leave his people? What a selfish man to come here_. The white-haired man gleamed at me with cold blue eyes. "Then it seems your wish has come true. I am Maeglin, captain of the rangers. Welcome to the brotherhood."

I feel the knife being lowered from my throat. The men hold out their arms, as a sign of hello. I grab each with a firm shake. "Come, ready your horse. We will bring you to our camp," Maeglin says turning his horse west. I grab Brego's reins and quickly untie him from the tree. The other rangers are disappearing behind Maeglin on their horses. I stick my foot in the stir-ups and hoist myself onto the horse's back. I give a slight kick and we trot behind the rangers_.__ Is my ancestry truly that powerful? Only a name__,__ a name I regret to say__,__ gained the trust of six men__,_ I think. _Does a name hold that much power? _I think quietly to myself as Brego follows the other horses further into the forest and closer to my new home.

We ride through the night and arrive to the encampment at dawn. I expected a few pitched tents and little men. However, there seems to be fifty tents and over a hundred men bustling to and from. The Brandywine River rushes nearby and I hear a blacksmith's hammer in the distance. The smell of firewood and cooking meat fills my nose. A sharp neigh turns my head quickly to see a stable with about forty horses ready to ride at a moment's notice. Maeglin reverts my attention back to the group "This is the Brandywine camp. Our commander is _Egladhrim__.__ You must speak with him if you wish to stay__.__ It is his decision alone__.__"_

_He hops of his horse and stomps into the largest tent__.__ I dismount Brego__,__ give him a small pat of reassurance and follow Maeglin__._

_The floor of the tent is covered in animal pelts of foxes and deer__.__ The walls are decorated with red paint with ancient elvish writing__.__ From one hangs a painting depicting the moment when Isildur cuts the rung from Sauron's finger__.__ I feel my chest tighten__.__ It seems everywhere I go I can not escape my past__.__ I focus on the man sitting behind a large oak desk__.__ He has pointed ears and dark hair pulled back in an intricate braid__.__ His hands are folded in front of him and his stern eyes seem fixated on me__.__ Maeglin bows__,__ "Commander__,__ we found this man in the forest__.__ He he was searching for us wishes to join the rangers__.__ His name is Aragorn__,__ he claims to be the heir to Isildur himself__.__"_

_Egladhrim's ears perk up like a dog__.__ He turns to his ranger "Thank you Maeglin__,__ you may go__.__"_

_Maelgin bows again__,__ turns on one foot and exits the tent__,__ leaving me and Egladhrim alone__.__ He scans me from head to toe__.__ "So what brings the heir of the crown to my camp?" _

_I bow__,__ "I come seeking to leave my past behind and to learn the ways of the Dunedain rangers__.__"_

_"I do not care for your past__,__ and I do not care of your ancestry__.__ We are all royal blood here__.__ Of whom you got it from is no importance to me__.__ All I care about is how you can help better my camp grow or if you will burden us further__,__" he says sternly__._

_"With all due respect sir__,__ I do not care for my past either__.__ I am simply looking for a new home__.__ That is my main priority__.__"_

_He looks at me questioningly__.__ "How bad could the life of Isildur's heir truly be if he has come to my feet begging to be accepted? If you have come here to try and overthrow my position as commander__,__ you mistook me for a fool boy__.__"_

_"No!" I yell__.__ "I assure you sir I plot no such thing__.__ You have my word__.__" __They don't know__,__ I think__,__ no one truly knows why I seek solitude__._

_Egladhrim stands from his chair and walks around the desk to face me__.__ "If I allow you to stay__,__ you must pull your own weight and make your way up the ranks on your own__.__ As I said__,__ names have no significance here__.__ You will start as a stable boy__.__ Talk to __Helevorn__,__ he will give you a tent and show you the camp__.__"_

_"Thank you__,__ sir__.__ You will not regret it__.__" I bow and turn to leave__._

_"Aragorn!" I turn__.__ "If I feel you are causing a disturbance to my men__,__ we will not be on good terms__.__ Do not speak to them of your blood__.__ Do you understand?" __Egladhrim says__._

_"Yes sir__.__" I exit the tent__._

_The Dunedain rangers of the north are all descendants of royal blood__.__ When the elves first arrived to Middle Earth they married men and made a cross-breed of men and elves__.__ These men live longer__,__ have the grace and agility of the elves whilst also gaining the strength of men__.__ The children were taught the elvish language__,__ and many have elvish names__.__ In the First Age__,__ the children were taught how to wield swords and bows by the elves themselves__.__ As time passed__,__ men and elves started to conflict__.__ So men took over the training__.__ Only the blood of the current king were taught the battle strategies of elves__,__ thus losing the legacy__.__ Now__,__ only a few remain who know the ancient tongue and skills__.__ I am one of the few__._

_The rangers are respected as great warriors who protect the free-folk of Hobbiton and Bree and have been known to occasionally help in battle when they feel their aid is needed__.__ They roam from place to place__,__ seeking a brotherhood they no longer can find in the modern world__.__ The rangers are rugged__,__ harsh men who prefer solitude except for their brethren and are rarely seen excluding in the time of need__.__ They stick to surviving and carrying on their legacy of royal blood__._

_As I walk towards the stables__,__ which I can find from the smell of horse dung and the distinct neighing__,__ I feel as if I am walking back into history__.__ Many of the men how pointed ears like Maelgin and Egladhrim__,__ showing a closer relationship to their elvish heritage__.__ Others look like regular men but with a more graceful stride and higher cheek bones__.__ They watch me as I pass__,__ aware of the outsider who has entered their camp__.__ They whisper about the new comer__,__ and what fortune he may bring__.__ Others snarl__,__ claiming they don't have the resources to feed another man__.__ I try to keep my head up__,__ knowing I belong here and they are suspicious of outsiders__,__ I will show them I belong here__._

_I arrive at the stables and stick my head around the corner__.__ "Hello?" I say__.__ "I am looking for __Helevorn__.__"_

_A stout man I would mistaken for a dwarf pokes his head from one of the corals__.__ "Over here son!" he shouts__._

_I walk towards him and he extends his arm__.__ I firmly grasp his shoulder and he mine__.__ A proper greeting among elves__.__ "Greeting friend__.__ I am Helevorn__.__ What is your name?"_

_I pause__.__ I traveled here for a fresh start__,__ and I do not want my past to follow me__.__Egladhrim's words echo in my ears__.__Do not speak to them of your blood__.__ Do you understand?__ "Strider__,__ my name is Strider__.__"_

_"Welcome to the Dunedain__,__ Strider__.__ I think you will enjoy your time here__,__ yes most indeed__,__" he beams__.__ "For your first job__,__ you can help me feed the horses__.__ Your horse was already escorted in__.__ He is in the furthest stable to the right if you would like to check on him__.__ After__,__ the hay is located just outside__.__ Give each one about three handfuls__.__" Helevorn waddles off at a happy gait__._

_The stables are much larger than I anticipated__.__ There seems to be at least eighty horses under a giant pitched roof held by giant oak trunks__.__ Many are sleeping with one hoof dangling just above the ground__.__ Some whinny as I make my way to Brego__.__ They come in all colors and sizes__.__ The largest__,_Maeglin;s horse, is a gorgeous grey-silver with tar black hair. His rear end is covered with white speckles and his dark eyes seem to watch me as I pass by. I finally reach Brego, and he greets me with a neigh. "Hello old friend, good to see you." I chuckle.

He shakes his withers, a sign he wants to be stroked. I unfasten the stable door and enter his quarters. I happily pet him from his left shoulder all the way down to his ribs. He huffs, expanding his ribcage. _What have I gotten ourselves into? Was this the right decision?_ I knew I would not be welcomed with open arms; however, this is not what I expected. _No__,__ I quickly think__,__ this was the right decision__.__ I came here to forget my past__.__ I can start by doing my duties__._ I leave Brego to sleep and look and head out of the stables to look for the hay. As I am exiting, I accidentally bump shoulders with a man causing a man to knock the firewood out of his arms. "I am so sorry, sir. Let me help you," I say bending over to pick up the logs.

"No problem brother, it was a mist-" he stops short. He glares down at me, recognizing who I am. "It's true. You really have come here." He sneers.

"I'm sorry, do I know you?"

"Who I am is irrelevant, considering you will only be here for a few days. If you even last that long," he laughs. "You are not welcome here. Slither back into the hole from whence you came." He stomps off in the opposite direction.

Not insulted by his words, I grab a bale of hay, throw it over my shoulder and head back into the stables.

. . .

After what seems like many hours and many more hay bales later, I finish giving the last horse hay as Helevorn waddles back in. "Good evening. How are you holding up?"

"Very well. I much prefer animals over people."

"I agree, brother. That reminds me. _Egladhrim wishes to see you in his tent__.__ Thank you for the help__,__" he says beaming ear to ear__._

_I give a slight bow of gratitude and make my way to Egladhrim__.__ As I walk outside__,__ I notice the sky has turned a dark blue casting shadows between the clouds__.__ A purple tint is more apparent on the horizon__,__ twilight__.__ The rangers seem to have gone to bed for the night__,__ for I am the only one out at this hour__.__ My tread leaves fresh footprints behind and a quite __squelch__ as my foot sinks into the thick__,__ over-worked mud__.__ I find myself at the threshold of Egladhrim's tent__.__ I take a deep breath__.__ I pull back the curtains and enter__._

_Egladhrim is still behind his desk__,__ writing a note__.__ "Step forward__,__ Aragorn__.__ I do not care for when my men hover in the doorway__.__"_

_I walk in and stand in front of the desk__,__ hands folded in front of me__.__ "I asked to see me sir?"_

_"Yes__,__ I did__.__" He stops writing and looks up at me for the first time__.__ "How was your first day here? Do you still wish to stay?"_

_"Yes sir__.__ I am most grateful for the hospitality__.__"_

_Egladhrim sighs__.__ "I can tell you're a good man__,__ Aragorn__.__ And I wish to like you__.__ I see great potential in you__.__ However__,__ a lot of men do not feel the same__.__ They see new comers as a threat__,__ and you are most likely their biggest threat yet__.__" He pulls two sheets of paper from a drawer and lays it across the desk__.__ "Never in my forty-three years have I received not one__,__ but two letters of good words about a new recruit__.__" Seeing my confused face__,__ he straightens in his seat__.__ "So you did not know__.__ Good__.__" He pushes the letters closer to me__.__ "One would appear to be from Lord Elrond of Rivendell__,__ the other from the Lady Galadriel of Lothlorien__.__ It seems you have friends in very high places__.__ They raved highly of you and ask of me to place as a captian__,__" he looks down at the papers "As great allies and providers of the rangers__,__ I can not refuse their offer__.__ As of tomorrow__,__ you will join_ Maeglin's unit." He signs again, this time a bit heavier. "You will get a lot of retaliation for this."

"I expected nothing less, sir. I can manage myself just fine with all due respect."

_Egladhrim nods__.__ "Good__.__ Now go get some rest__.__ Your tent is at the end of the row to the left__.__"_

_I give a swift bow and exit the tent__.__ The thought of Lord Elrond sending a letter talking of my adventures and accomplishments to better my chances with the rangers dumbfounds me__.__ We have not spoken since I asked for Arwen's hand in marriage__.__ Arwen__.__ I stop dead in my tracks__.__ The thought of her makes a pain grow in my heart and the thought of her voice sends a shiver up my spine__.__ I clear my head with a quick shake and continue toward my tent__.__ Yet I still think of her__.__ I hear a bush rustle to my right and sharply turn but pass it off as a nearby rabbit__.__ As I continue__,__ I think I hear whispers and stop abruptly__.__ I listen again __.__.__.__ and hear nothing__.__ I continue walking__.__ I reach my tent and pull the sheet back__.__ I fall into my feather-stuffed bed and drift into sleep__,__ thinking of the woman I met in the gardens of Rivendell__.__ I pass into a deep sleep__,__ with her still in my mind__._

_I awake in the gardens of Rivendell laying on a couch__.__ I know because the sound of the rushing waterfall__,__ the gladioli's sweet scent and the woman standing in front of me__.__ She has long black hair past her waist and wears a white dress with long sleeves__,__ so long the material near her wrists brush the ground__.__ She turns around__,__ facing me__.__ Her ears are pointed__,__ her ice blue eyes are familiar__.__ "Arwen__,__" I say__._

_She smiles at me__.__ A smile that lights up my dark world__.__ She takes a step forward__.__ "Aragorn__,__ I have missed you__,__" her voice sings__._

_I sit up__,__ take a step toward her__.__ I long for her touch__.__ "This is a dream__.__"_

_She takes another step forward__,__ a smirk on her face__.__ "Then it is a good dream__.__"_

_I bridge the gap and grab her by the waist__.__ I pull her close to me__,__ lean into her lips__.__ They graze each other at first__,__ then harder__.__ We kiss for an eternity__,__ but it is not long enough__.__ She is the first to pull away__.__ "Aragorn__,__ you must head home__.__ Back to Gondor__.__" _

_I pull away__,__ not happy with her statement__.__ "What do you imply?" _

_"It is your destiny__.__ You must reclaim the throne__,__ you are the last living heir__.__ If the steward remains on the throne__,__ I fear for the fate of Middle-Earth__.__"_

_I hang my head and grasp her hands__.__ "You know why I fled__.__ You have seen my nightmares__.__ If I return__,__ I fear for the fate of Middle-Earth__.__ Because I will be the tool of its destruction__.__"_

"_That is not true__.__ How can you let a past haunt you when you have the power to correct it?"_

_I look her in the eyes__.__ "If Isildur could not resist the power if the ring what is to say I will not do the same? I have seen it__.__ Someone on the edge of a cliff inside Mount Doom__.__ Dangling the ring of power over the molten rock and then taking it back for himself__.__ History is meant to repeat itself__,__ Arwen__.__ And I can not be a part of it__.__ It will ruin me__.__"_

_She looks at me with concern__,__ the palm of her hand caresses my face__.__ "If the world was covered in darkness__,__ not by your hand but another's__,__ would it not still be dark? How would you live with yourself then if you did not do everything in your power to prevent the very thing you see everyday in your dreams? You are not a bad man__,__ Aragorn__.__ You fear for things that have not yet been set in motion because of the actions of your ancestors__.__ You are not them__,__ nor will you ever be__.__ You already are a greater man then they ever were__.__ Remembering that will help you overcome the demons that taunt you__,__" she releases her hands and turns to face a window in the room__.__ "I am only here to guide you on the right path__.__ If you wish for us to be together you must remember my father's words__.__ He will not give his daughter away unless you reclaim the throne of Arnor and Gondor__,__" she says with sadness in her voice__._

_I reach for her hand again "Arwen!"_

I awake in my tent back in the Dunedain camp. I look around, confused and frazzled, for Arwen. My breathing is rapid and heavy, so I try to take calm deep breaths. I turn over in my bed and try to go back to sleep. However, Arwen's words ring in my ears. She is right, I must prove myself for her, Elrond, and the future. If not, Middle-Earth could fall in darkness forever.

I rise with the sun. A thin line of sunshine streams through my tent and hits me in my eyes. I sit up, stretch, throw my feet over the bed and stand up. I dress myself for the day, grab my sword in the corner and leave.

As soon as I step out, I can tell something is wrong. I look at my feet and can see many fresh footprints made by man leading in and out of my tent. The most recent are about two inches deep, as if someone had been standing for a long time. I follow them with my eyes into a nearby bush. As I take a step back, something leaps at me. I unsheathe my sword and hold it in front of me for protection. I hear a loud clang. I open my eyes and see I have crossed swords with the man I bumped into the day before behind the barn. "You overprivileged scum!" he yells, "How dare you spread your name around like a king when you have been here but a day!"

I spin my sword around his, grinding the metal. Now, I am able to point my sword directly at him. Other rangers have heard the commotion and start gathering around the man and me. "I don't know who you are, but I have done no such thing."

The man laughs, lowers his sword. He turns to the other rangers with his hands extended. "Dunedain! I would like to present to you the Isildur's heir. The man who is responsible for the fall of Middle-Earth." He gives a swift bow. "Now, _Egladhrim wishes for history to repeat itself__.__ On the day you arrived__,__ he makes you captain__.__ I have been here for six years and still a lowly ranger__.__ How dare you!" he lunges at me raising his sword__.__ I block his blow__,__ coming face to face with him__.__ "Yes__,__ I am Isildur's heir__.__ I am the rightful King of Gondor__.__ I am here to help my people and fix the problems my ancestors have created__.__" I push him back__,__ making him lose his balance__.__ I hit him in the head with the handle of my sword causing him to lie on his back in the mud__.__ I point my sword at his throat__.__ I have pinned him down__.__ His face is red with anger__,__ embarrassed I have beat him in front of the whole camp__.__ As I lower my sword__,__ I hear an uproar behind me__.__ I turn__,__ Egladhrim is pushing his way through the crowd__.__ Finally__,__ he faces me and sees the man on the ground with my sword in hand__.__ "Aragorn__,__ my tent__.__ Now__.__"_

_I walk into Egladhrim's tent__,__ my head held down in shame__.__ He sits at his desk__,__ his eyes sparkle like he holds a secret__.__ "Aragorn__,__ your hunting party is saddled and ready to ride__.__ Are you prepared?"_

_"I'm sorry__,__ sir__.__ Am I not here to be banished from the camp?" I asked confused__._

_"Banished? Nothing will happen of the sorts__.__ You will resume your duty as a captain of the Dunedain__.__ Your scuffle today has no weigh on my decisions__,__ only more in favor of you because I know you show leadership__.__ The men respect you now__.__ You have proven yourself__.__ Be happy__,__ this is a great victory for you in the long journey you wish to accomplish__.__ Am I correct?" he asks raising one eyebrow__._

_"Yes__,__ it is__.__" I leave the tent__._

_.__.__.__ 10 YEARS LATER __.__.__._

_I have become the greatest captain in the history of the Dunedain__.__ My men and I assisted Rohan and Gondor in past battles and won__.__ I have untied the many camps__,__ and worked closly alongside Egladhrim__,__ Elrond and the Lady Galadriel__.__ By becoming captain__,__ I am one step closer to uniting Arnor and Gondor since Isildur's rule__.__ And one step closer to making Arwen my wife__._

_Today has been incredibly stressful__.__ A number of dark men have been trying infiltrate the village of Bree__.__ Their plan is to overtake Bree__,__ and then enslave the free hobbits to sell to orcs in the mountains__.__ My men and I have taken many prisoners but have not told us who their master is__.__ To clear my head and take a break from interrogating I decide to talk a walk in the woods__._

_The smell of the pines calms my nerves__,__ the soft pine needles softening my steps__.__ As I stroll through the woodlands I think of many things__.__ Arwen__,__ the future of Middle-Earth__,__ my destiny. As my head wanders__,__ I hear a branch break to my left. I unsheathe my sword__,__ an instinct now__,__ and point it in the direction of the racket. I stop__,__ hear nothing. As I lower my sword__,__ the branches start to shake and part. From the shadows I see a man emerge. He has white-blonde hair and pointy ears. He wears a tunic of green__,__ appearing as if he were dressed in leaves. A curved bow sits between his shoulder blades and two long white knives cross on his back. I point my sword again__,__ threatened by someone armed. He raises his hands no show he means no harm. "Please__,__ I am only here to talk."_

_"Who are you? What business do you have coming here?" I ask._

_"I am Legolas Greenleaf__,__ son of Thranduil. I come seeking the man named Strider."_

_I lower my sword. "I am Strider__,__ what can I do for you friend?"_

_He steps out of the shadows of the trees and walks towards me. "You are Isildur's heir. Heir to the throne of Gondor. The elves need your help."_

_"Yes__,__ I am aware. Lord Elrond has told me how to better Middle-Earth. As of now__,__ we are doing everything in our power to save Bree. Tell your captain I will write to the Elrond describing our progress here__,__" I turn to walk back to camp._

_Soundless as a deer moving through the brush__,__ Legolas runs to me and grabs me from behind. "I'm sorry but you must be mistaken. I do not serve anyone. I come on my own accord."_

_I brush his hand off my shoulder. "What is wrong? Is Arwen alright?" I asked panicked._

_"Arwen is well__,__ my lord. It is Middle-Earth I fear for most. I have sensed something stirring in the East. An evil that has been brewing under our noses. I fear it is the same evil we thought we vanquished so long ago."_

_I feel my stomach drop. "Are you saying you believe Sauron is back from the grave?"_

_Legolas's face flushes. "Yes. That is what I believe."_

_For a moment the world seems to spin, and I must grab a nearby tree for balance. Legolas stabilizes my arm as I try to stand up again. For many years, I have forgotten the burden my kin left me. Now, I must face the same darkness they failed to conquer. I look into Legolas's eyes. "How can you be sure of this?"_

_"Orcs have been coming down from the mountains. Trolls have traveled from the Ettenmoors. Many years ago, an elf and I found spiders spawning in the abandoned fortress of Dolguldor. There, a poweful uruk captain, Azog, was able to grow an army and try to retake Middle-Earth from men. The Lady Galadriel banished him to Mordor, where we think he has gained enough strength to unleash his army yet again."_

The world starts to spin again. "From what you are saying, you can be certain Sauron has returned."

"Yes, and we need your help," he says solemnly.

I take a deep breath, clearing my head. This is what I have been training for, this is my destiny. I knew, someday, this news would come. "How can I help you?"

Lord Elrond and Gandalf have confidence Sauron is seeking the Ring of Power. They have tracked it to Hobbiton where it has laid dormant until its master regained his strength. Gollum informed the Nazgul of the hobbit's name and they have been sent to find it. Gandalf told the hobbit to meet him in Bree so he could guide the hobbit to Rivendell, to Lord Elrond. However, we have not heard from Gandalf in several days and we fear something has happened. Lord Elrond requests you venture to Bree, meet the hobbit at the Prancing Pony, and bring him to Rivendell."

_What of my unit_? I think_. What am I supposed to tell __Egladhrim? __No. This is the right thing to do. I have prepared for this day since I joined the rangers. Egladhrim will understand the dire need of all men.__ "When will I meet the hobbit?" I ask._

_"You should leave tonight. The hobbit should get there around nightfall is he is not already there." Legolas looks at me with sad blue eyes. He extends his hand. "I admire your kindness. I will meet you at the Prancing Pony tomorrow evening. I hope to see you then."_

_I grasp his forearm and shake. "Thank you, Legolas. Safe travels."_

_"Safe travels." He turns on his heel and runs into the thick trees from once he came. I turn and sprint in the other direction._

_I pack my things, taking only what I need. With my belongs on my back I walk to the stables and saddle up Brego. He whinnies with anticipation of a journey. I put my foot in the stirrup, hoist myself up into the saddle, lean forward and grab the reins. "Finally, Brego. This is it. The real journey is about to begin. Are you ready?"_

_He shakes his head and digs at the ground with one hoof. I kick his underbelly and he flies out of the stables. We pass other rangers who turn their to wonder where we are going. The pine trees rush past in a blur. As we ride towards Bree, I think of how I could possibly be riding to my death and the doom of Middle-Earth. _


End file.
